Chapter 16

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"I've been drawing Weeping Angels for years," El protested, "None turned into the actual creature."

"Well, none of your drawings have been exposed to time energy from the TARDIS," he muttered, while glancing at her quickly, "Hopefully." The gold statue, instead of the standard weeping stance, looked like a joyous angel. Its hands were above its head and the angel was in mid dance.

"Doctor, there were two in the picture," she pointed out, "Where's the other?"

"Off somewhere else?"

Elthia started shaking. "I don't like Weeping Angels."

He looked at her carefully. "Many don't. Just...stay calm." The angels technically shouldn't be strong enough to send them back in time, although the whole room was potentially fuel.

"Right, calm," she agreed. Time slowed again, and Elthia instinctively concentrated on the other angel. Her vision started going down hallways and through doors like she was actually there.

The angel, in its regular stone attire, moved quickly from room to room, searching for something. Suddenly, its emotionless face appeared in front of El's vision.

Jumping slightly, she flashed back to the ballroom. "This is all my fault," Elthia muttered.

"No, it's not," the Doctor assured, "Don't say that. If you didn't bring them out of the TARDIS, they would have fed on the time energy."

"Doctor, I have to tell you something."

He looked at the fountain hurriedly, before glancing back at Elthia. "Is it important? One of us has to find the second one."

"No, it's not," El dismissed after hesitating, "I'll go find the Weeping Angel. You get the people out."

The Doctor, noting the pause, looked like he was about to protest, but she left swiftly for the hall. He tugged on his sleeves before brandishing his sonic exaggeratedly.

The halls were not as lavish as the ballroom. People weren't invited to spend time in the hallways.

Elthia had encountered many different feelings of fear from all of the dangerous situations she placed herself in. Most situations had faith in the Doctor to lessen the fear, but she couldn't help questioning everything.

One minute, the only reason El came was because other journal, then he forgot? The Doctor didn't forget that easily. She braided her hair to keep it out of her face.

Weeping Angels had invented their own feeling of terror. It contained paranoia with a feeling that El couldn't describe. Almost, instinctively fearing the Angels.

Logically, fear usually came from a traumatic experience or from your ancestors. Since she believed that Elthia's ancestors definitely hadn't faced anything alien, she thought it was because of her knowing before about them.

As she drifted through the cramped hallways, her mind drifted to the Doctor once more. They were two people who were not meant to meet nor become friends. Their relationship would end in despair and fire, like most of the Doctor's companions.

Wandering seemed inefficient, so El thought how to draw the angel towards her. This creature moved when you weren't looking, like when you blinked.

Blinking would allow the angel move, preferably closer to Elthia. Breathing deeply, she shut her eyes for no more than a second and opened them to find the Angel a mere ten feet away.

Circling the now empty ballroom, the Doctor mentally cursed at the timing. The first time that it was just them with no aliens or threats and an alien threat arrived.

The gold Weeping Angel smiled its joyous smile, but he assumed that it was because of its disguise. It reminded him of New York, 1938, losing his companions again, and that last page in the book.

El's voice kept echoing in his head as the Doctor observed the Angel.

"New York, Earth, the Solar System?" What she said to his previous regeneration.

"June 23, 1938." When her birthday was.

"My parents. How are you real?" Who told her about him.

'No, no, no,' the Doctor thought, 'Elthia isn't a Pond nor Williams.' No matter how hard he tried, he simply couldn't remember what her last name was or if she even said what it was. 'Isn't it odd how you've traveled with her for two weeks and still not know her surname? Isn't everything more odd now that El's here?'

Elthia saw the Weeping Angel a few feet before her. "Hello?" She asked, "Can you understand me?"

Obviously, the statue didn't reply. El knew that it wouldn't. Trying to lure it back to the ball room, she walked backwards and blinked.

The vacant ballroom lacked its previous festive aura. The Doctor paced, waiting for Elthia. He had dispatched the first Angel rather easily, since it was weak from its "birth".

The mirror was positioned perfectly and the Doctor only needed one more thing; Elthia.

Sure enough, she ran through the doors. "It's right behind me." Once the two closed their eyes, it appeared only feet away from their face. Careful not to take their eyes off of it, Elthia and the Doctor crawled away from the Weeping Angel who would be forced to stare at itself forever.

Taking it from his pocket, the Doctor placed a necklace around it. "A perception filter," he explained, "Anyone who looks at it will overlook it."

"Ok." The two went back to the TARDIS in silence. The Doctor's thoughts overwhelmed him.

They both waited for the other to talk. El picked at her nail casually even though she was still in her dress.

Finally, the Doctor asked, "What's your last name?"

She looked at him weirdly before answering cautiously, "Williams."

It was a common name. "Your mother's maiden name?" He checked.

"Pond. Elthia Pond or Elthia Williams."

The Doctor froze. The daughter of his old companions, in his TARDIS, traveling with him like her parents. "Uh, I need to do something," he stuttered, "Alone. Can I come back in a few days or so?" River would know if she existed or if she was a weapon.

"Doctor, are you ok?"

"Perfect! Lovely, amazing, wonderful, great," the Doctor cheered, "Lovely."

"You already said that," Elthia pointed out.

"I'm sure I did." He began flying the TARDIS with more difficulty than usual. Almost like she was resisting.

Elthia was in her room, watching the TARDIS disappear. She replayed the last few hours in her head to see if she had did anything wrong.

A few days. The Doctor said a few days. This became her mantra for the weeks to come.

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